Chișinău police detain two men in 380,000 lei Telegram scam

Police in Chișinău have detained two young men, aged 20 and 22, following a sophisticated Telegram scam that targeted a 66-year-old woman. The suspects were caught in flagrante delicto while attempting to collect a third installment of money from the victim.

The scammers, posing as state institution employees, manipulated the woman into believing her savings needed protection. She had already handed over more than 380,000 lei in two installments via couriers. The fraud escalated when the victim was convinced to sell her apartment to transfer the proceeds into what the scammers claimed were secure accounts.

The intervention was made possible by bank employees who noticed suspicious transactions and alerted the authorities. Despite the victim's initial refusal to believe she was being targeted, police and relatives intervened to prevent the loss of her home and remaining funds.